Information System Purchase and Integration Contingencies When Companies Merge

This study grounds empirically the purchasing and further integration of an implemented information system set in the frenzied context of a corporate merger. A single longitudinal case study from the Norwegian pelagic seafood industry provides a detailed long-term account of developing the information system prior to, during and after a merger in the seafood industry that relies on wild catch. It is characterised by high dependence on features of nature and society to secure sustainable production. Contingency theory together with a process view of production reveals how interactions unfold over time to develop the new unified information system. Features of integration, interaction and interdependency represent different facets of information system purchase and development. The merger process represents an abnormality for the organisation as a continuous entity. Information system development in the case, therefore, takes place in a weakly integrated network of merging firms with severe time constraints. Given high uncertainty, solutions emerge through interaction. Deterministic optimisation is, in this context, a fluffy managerial dream. Normally, information system purchase and information system development involve reciprocal interdependencies involving mutual adjustments through intensive technologies and tight interaction among all parties involved. The coercive behaviour of management seeking efficiencies overrules these planning ideals. This indicates that purchasing, in a corporate merger context, is complex and approached as a complex system in a network. Solutions used in this approach originate because of emergent-networked interaction.

Assessment of the dynamics and forecasts of mergers and acquisitions in the Baltic States

In terms of corporate merger and acquisition (M&A) deals, the year 2018 was an exceptional year for the Baltic States, with the highest number of deals in the region over the past few years. However, not only were their numbers increasing, but also their value, which increased compared to previous years. Based on the latest data available, the article analyses and forecasts the Baltic M&A market and its trends. The main purpose of the paper is to ascertain the situation in the area of mergers and acquisitions, identify the sectors with the largest number of such deals and trends of mergers and acquisitions

Face of CEO in corporate publicity affects viewer regard for the firm

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ability of head-and-shoulder photos of CEOs appearing in a publicity item to influence reader regard for the corporation linked to the CEO. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 investigated three factors, face of a male CEO (trustworthy versus less trustworthy), headline framing of a corporate merger (tax-dodge vs specialization strategy) and respondent gender, whereas Study 2 explored two factors, face of a CEO (male vs female) and headline framing. The primary dependent variable was respondent regard for the firm. Findings Study 1 resulted in a significant three-way interaction. Face of a male CEO moderated a two-way interaction between the gender and the headline. Women, as compared with men, responded particularly unfavorably to the combination of an untrustworthy face and a tax-dodge headline. In Study 2, a firm headed by a male CEO and engaged in a tax-dodge action was poorly regarded, whereas a firm headed by a female CEO pursuing the same action did not suffer a loss of regard. Research limitations/implications Only one framing device (headlines) was studied when there are multiple such devices. Also, overall regard for the firm is influenced by multiple factors. Originality/value Of the factors investigated (facial image, headline and reader gender), only one is controlled by the corporation – the image of the spokesperson presented to the media. Findings suggest less downside risk to reputation if the company uses only trustworthy-looking spokespersons. Also, a female CEO may be a reputational asset. Women reported significantly more positive feelings toward a corporation headed by a female CEO than a male CEO.